Rail Forum welcomes the appointment of Sir John Kingman as Chair of Great British Railways (GBR) and the announcement that GBR’s HQ will be built at Becketwell in Derby; the city that is already home to the Rail Forum.
Derby already sits at the heart of the railway, from where the Rail Forum serves a national membership of over 400 rail related businesses. Forum members from across the UK work with DFTO and NR teams to deliver a customer focused railway that supports both passenger and freight operators, as well as the communities we collectively serve.
Elaine Clark, CEO of Rail Forum said:
“Rail Forum is proud to welcome Great British Railways to Derby which sits at the Heart of the Railway. We also congratulate Sir John on his appointment as Chair, a role that will be crucial in establishing the culture of the new organisation. Alongside our 400 members we look forward to working with GBR’s leadership team to deliver a truly customer focused railway at home, whilst using this opportunity to grow exports overseas.
“With other members of the Rail Employers Skills Board, including Derby College and the Derby UTC, we look forward to working with GBR to support the announcement of 600 GBR apprenticeships that will be delivered in our city over the next four years.
“We are also particularly pleased to see that last week’s announcement commits to creating better links between Derby railway station and the city centre – which will help connect Derby College, Derby UTC and the many rail businesses based on Pride Park with Derby’s city centre and the new home of GBR.”
